William howard gass july 30, 1924 december 6, 2017 was an american novelist, shortstory writer, essayist, critic, and philosophy professor. The essay includes a paragraph about fines conversation with me, a discussion i enjoyed. An experimentalist, gass works out his philosophical and literary theories in both the. A native of the midwest, gass is professor emeritus of humanities at washington university in st. Mar 16, 2014 the nyrb classics imprint has reissued william gass s 1976 raucous philosophical inquiry into the color blue. Gass work is first, then, an homage to the word bluea. The essayist, novelist, and critic took listeners through eight of what he called his writerly preoccupationsmetaphoring and preaching among themand read passages from several of his books to illustrate his points. He was also a printer, a lecturer, and a biographer but essentially he was an essayist, a great essayist. William gass writes about literary language, about history, about the avantgarde, about minimalisms brief vogue, about the use of the present tense in fiction is it due to the lack of both a sense of history and a belief in the future. William gass on 12 of the most important books in his life literary.
Critics universally adored the tunnel, his 1995 opus, even though it. If i had any advice to give a young writer and i havent, i would suggest an enraptured reading of these letters. The following paper, from tender buttons to the heart of the country. As a writer of fiction he has strong opinions for which, as a philosopher, he finds reasons. Interviewed by thomas leclair with john gardner, 1979 william h. William howard gass, who died on december 6 at the age of 93, is one of the very few philosophers of the 20th century to transcend the essential boringness of that social identity. My mom made the neighbors spitz her pal by poisoning it with the gin she sprinkled on the table scraps.
Gass, william 1980 philosophy and the future of fiction, syracuse scholar 19791991. We are lucky if we find a sentence or paragraph to hold ontoas a reader, as a writer. I think in one sense, the fictions what matters most to me. He also wrote three collections of short stories, a collection of novellas and seven volumes of essays. Gass the true alchemists do not change lead into gold.
Gass is also the author of a book of short stories titled in the heart of the heart of the country, and other stories 1968 and four volumes of essays about. It is not hard to imagine young gass chafing at the bit that midcentury analytic philosophy had sought to place in his mouth. William gass states in his essay culture, self, and society, a culture morally and functionally fails which does not let its crazies, its artists and its saints, its scientists and politicians, claim, on occasion, a higher law than its own congresses can pass, traditions permit, or conscience conceive. Though william gass, who has died aged 93, published only three novels and five collections of shorter fiction, he was one of the leading postmodernist writers of. William gass is a novelist, essayist, philosopher, and teacher. Reviewer juan vidal says its more an experience to be had than a. Recent developments in philosophy have greatly influenced the struc. William gass states in his essay culture, self, and society, a culture morally and functionally fails which does not let its crazies, its. Gass, one of the nations most esteemed writers of literature and criticism, died of congestive heart failure on wednesday dec. Like most of gass s essays, it wanders through a jungle of ideas and images, and then suddenly beats a series of clearly marked, though often forking, paths toward a clearing. Philosophy and the future of fiction surface syracuse university. Apr 10, 2006 gasss highest, most personal praise is saved for those he called friends. Gass, who completed his dissertation under the supervision of the. Philosophy and the future of fiction by william gass.
Gass genuinely, audaciously, absolutely loved words. In the old days, a writer would start an interview with a bunch of data. Find william gasss phone number, address, and email on spokeo, the leading online directory for contact information. A website exploring this esteemed american writers work and his readers reactions. The essays reprinted here belong to a variety of genres, but all centrally consider how writing enters into the worldhow writers find forms adequate for their thoughts. He wrote three novels, three collections of short stories, a collection of novellas, and seven volumes of essays, three of which have won national book critics circle award prizes and one of which, a temple of texts 2006, won the truman capote. In santa fe, new mexico, during the fall of 2004, william h. Twentyeight of 51 pages of an exhibition catalog to inaugurate the international writers center. Gass, whose ornate prose style, experimental novels and labyrinthine essays made him a master of difficult pleasures and one of the most influential writers of american literatures. He wrote three novels, three collections of short stories, a collection of novellas, and seven volumes of essays, three of which have won national book critics circle award prizes and one of which, a. Feb 17, 2020 patrick gass was one of the early enlistees in the expeditionary force led by captains meriwether lewis and william clark to survey the missouri and columbia rivers in 18041806. New york awardwinning novelist and critic william gass has died. A genrefree book that is a joy to read, reflecting gass s own joy in reading rilke.
When he was six weeks old his father moved the family to warren, ohio. In addition to his participation in the great journey, gass was the author of. Dec 15, 2017 though william gass, who has died aged 93, published only three novels and five collections of shorter fiction, he was one of the leading postmodernist writers of the second half of the 20th century. When he talks, the small shifts of his compact body, the voices inflections, and the minds dartings reveal a writer harsh on himself and his work, though generous. William howard gass july 30, 1924 december 6, 2017 was an american novelist, critic and philosophy professor. Exhibit sections formative years teaching international writers center fiction books fiction. Jul 23, 2019 the following paper, from tender buttons to the heart of the country. Gass won the 1985 national book award for a previous essay collection, habitations of the word. In 1976 gass was on the panel that gave the national book award to gaddis for his second novel, j. Critics universally adored the tunnel, his 1995 opus, even though it was nearly impossible to read. Gass 91 years old at the time of writing would certainly benefit from such a list, since his work typically gestates across decades. Every writer should own and relish a matched set of his essays. If you believed yourself to be a writer of eminence, you are now assured of being over the hillnot a sturdy mountain flower but a little wilted lily of the valley.
William gass writes about literary language, about history, about the avantgarde. William gass, the fiction writer, has always demonstrated that the world of sentences and paragraphs prose writing, stories, and novels is. Literature is the center of gass world and for him it also extends everywhere. A genrefree book that is a joy to read, reflecting gasss own joy in reading rilke. William h gass the novelist, critic and philosopher is a difficult read but even at 91 he is able to create novellas of startling beauty, as in his latest work eyes. After 30 years of labor, gass habitations of the word, 1984, etc. Dec 07, 2017 william howard gass was born in fargo, n.
Gass, william howard 1924 gass is an american novelist, short story writer, philosopher, and essayist. The precise statement of the motive is tricky, but the clearest expression of my unwholesome nature and my mean motives apart from trying to write well appears in a line i like in in the heart of the. Ebook the william h gass reader as pdf download portable. The nyrb classics imprint has reissued william gasss 1976 raucous philosophical inquiry into the color blue. Gass, when i approached him, was wearing a red bow tie and a blue suit and was lounging in his park avenue penthouse. Gaddis and his goddamn books includes gasss previously published introduction to the recognitions, but also two new personal pieces, the first a travel image of the two authors in russia and the. May 04, 2014 this discussion between william gass and john gardner took place on october 24, 1978, during a fiction festival sponsored by the university of cincinnati and the national endowment for the arts.
In addition to his participation in the great journey, gass was the author of the first published account of the expedition. Gass offers the fledgling writeror any writer, periodnumerous insights toward the construction of meaningful. Dec 07, 2017 new york awardwinning novelist and critic william gass has died. In a broad sense any food is junk if you eat too much of it, or at the wrong time. Gass on each of the 50 literary pillars he selected. This discussion between william gass and john gardner took place on october 24, 1978, during a fiction festival sponsored by the university of cincinnati and. Gass 151 although william gass wrote this challenge in 1982 for a conference on postmodern fiction, his justification of writers expanding beyond the invisible type1 into a transliterate package of typography, layout, textures, binding, and all. Patrick gass was one of the early enlistees in the expeditionary force led by captains meriwether lewis and william clark to survey the missouri and columbia rivers in 18041806. Interviewed by thomas leclair with john gardner, 1979 published in the new republic, 1979, as. And sometimes the boundaries are better kept than others.
Gass essayist william was born in fargo, dissertation on fashion brands north dakota. While reading william gass s the tunnel last year at this time, i feared i was witnessing the last of a dying breed, the encyclopedic american novel that began with gaddiss recognitions in 1955, hit its stride in the sixties and seventies giles goatboy, gravitys rainbow, gaddis again with j r, the public burning, letters, went baroque in the eighties darconvilles cat, take five, women. The close friendship between william gass and fellow novelist william gaddis began in the early 1980s and lasted until gaddiss death in 1998. On being blue, a philosophical inquiry by william gass. William howard gass july 30, 1924 december 6, 2017 was an american novelist. He wrote three books, omensetters luck 1966, the tunnel 1995 and middle c 20. Gass born 30 july 1924 is an american novelist, short story writer, essayist, critic, and former philosophy professor quotes.
In its historical development since the eighteenth century, the novel has borrowed freely from other prose forms and from various genres such as painting, music, and poetry. Debra di blasis gass pain says the tunnel suffocates in its similes and does not make its narrator wicked enough. Louis, missouri, with his wife, the architect mary gass. Created and curated by stephen schenkenberg, editor and publisher of. Gass simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Gass was a professor of philosophy at washington university. It was a late sunday afternoonthe lounging hourand william gass was speaking on the phone from his. He is the author of seven works of fiction, nine books of essays, and a book of conversations. What was the impact factor of the journals he published in. Though mainly focussed on literary matters, gass scope extends far beyond. Reviewer juan vidal says its more an experience to be had than a book to be read. William howard gass was an american novelist, short story writer, essayist, critic, and former philosophy professor. Throughout his career, william gass relentlessly pushed at the boundaries of language, celebrating the music of the.
Gass fiction has been a secret handshake among brainy readers for years. He won many awards gass was born in fargo, north dakota. While reading william gasss the tunnel last year at this time, i feared i was witnessing the last of a dying breed, the encyclopedic american novel that began with gaddiss recognitions in 1955, hit its stride in the sixties and seventies giles goatboy, gravitys rainbow, gaddis again with j r, the public burning, letters, went baroque in the eighties darconvilles cat, take five, women. In interviews he sometimes compared metaphor to junk food, which is of course dangerous, but also hard to define. Gass, was presented at the louisville conference on literature and culture since 1900, the university of louisville, feb. Gass, whose books include cartesian sonata, the tunnel, and omensetters luck, received the lannan lifetime achievement award in 1997. Like most of gasss essays, it wanders through a jungle of ideas and images, and then suddenly beats a series of clearly marked, though often forking, paths toward a clearing.
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